GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – The preseason Horizon League favorite Green Bay men’s tennis team got its 2014 spring season started on Thursday afternoon, picking up a 7-0 victory over Cardinal Stritch University at Western Racquet and Fitness Club.

Playing for the first time under the new, experimental ITA dual match format, the Phoenix made quick work of the Wolves by claiming a pair of doubles matches to earn the doubles point before sweeping the six singles matches in straight sets.

“This is what we as coaches get excited for,” Green Bay head coach Mark Thomas said. “The first week of practice, getting into a real match and getting the first-match jitters out. I thought the guys competed well. I thought they were very focused from start to finish. We have some great goals set for this season, and to know that today marks the start of trying to accomplish those goals is really exciting.”

The Phoenix took the first point of the afternoon with wins at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles. The duo of Michael Tebon (Excelsior, Minn.) and Joey Leto (Downers Grove, Ill.) grabbed a 6-2 victory at the top spot against Stritch’s Jimmy Le and Raymond Weich, while defending Horizon League Player of the Year Michael Tenzer (Neuried, Germany) teamed up with Marius Merz (Heidelberg, Germany) for a 6-0 win against Nadar Murad and George Watson at No. 3.

In singles action, sophomore Leopold Gomez Islinger (Weiden, Germany) cruised to a 6-0, 6-2 win over Le at No. 1, while Tenzer earned his second victory of the day with a 6-1, 6-2 triumph over Weich at the No. 2 spot.

Leto and Tebon were also two-time winners on Thursday, as Leto took down Watson 6-4, 6-2 at No. 4 singles and Tebon earned a 6-2, 6-0 win over Tommy Vang at No. 6.

Green Bay returns to action on Saturday in Chicago, taking on a tough DePaul team at 3 p.m.

FAMILIAR FACE: The Cardinal Stritch men’s tennis team is coached by former Phoenix standout Mark Goldin, who played No. 1 and No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles at Green Bay from 2004-08. Goldin, an All-Horizon League performer in three of his four seasons, was named the Wolves’ head coach in November of 2012.